Musicians Danny Bowes, Harry James, and Luke Morley worked together in the 80s-era [tab]blues outfit Terraplane. After experiencing what Morley has called "a 'eureka' moment", the guys devised a high-energy British rock project directly inspired by the likes of Bad Company, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin. The aptly named Thunder spent a year or so in constant touring and gradually built a positive reputation that helped its debut album, named Backstreet Symphony, reach a wide audience. Released 4 April 1990 by EMI / Geffen, it became an international success. The album didn't just get RIAA certified as 'Gold' but earned them a spot on BBC's 'Top of the Pops', playing their hard-edged version of "Gimme Some Lovin'" to a global audience. A well-received performance at Castle Donington's 'Monsters of Rock' event before gigantic crowds brought it home to the guys how far they'd broken through.
After touring with female-fronted rockers Heart and other artists with the same style, the guys prepared the second album, which they ominously titled Laughing on Judgement Day. Despite their deliberately 'retro' sound quite unlike the alternative and post-punk trends of the time (or, in fact, precisely because of their sticking to their guns), their sophomore album achieved even more success. Released on 24 August 1992, it proved an even bigger hit in the U.K. than their debut, reaching the number two slot on the nation's top albums chart. Its singles include "Everybody Wants Her" and "Low Life in High Places", the titles alone showing Thunder's interest in classic rock n' roll hedonism.
Bassist "Snake" Luckhurst left the band citing 'personal differences', a move that wasn't just Thunder's first line-up change but a sign of future turmoil to come. He got replaced by Swedish musician Mikael Höglund, and the band went on to record their third album, 1995's Behind Closed Doors, before facing a dilemma with their label. Finding that "most of the people who'd been there at the beginning of our tenure had moved on", as Morley put it, as well as that talk of a contract extension had terms that they simply couldn't accept, Thunder jumped from EMI.
Despite being championed by U.S. contemporaries such as Aerosmith and Guns n' Roses, the guys still faced a tough time making a lasting impact 'across the pond'. Though focused on pumping out more and more material, Morley later remarked that the mid-90s found Thunder "suffering from 'hamster in the wheel' syndrome". Mikael Höglund was unavailable for recording the band's fourth album, called The Thrill of it All, and so the 1996 release had bass duty left with Morley. For the subsequent tour, the band recruited bassist Chris Childs, who stayed with the band to record their fifth album. Although Giving the Game Away, released in 1999, earned a positive fan response, it had become totally clear how Thunder had disconnected from a record industry whose connected network of radio stations, TV networks, and music magazines dismissed the guys' sort of melodic hard rock as either endangered or extinct.
In Autumn of that year, the group announced an upcoming split, and their final tour concluded in May 2000. Still, Thunder's interest in new technology and the continuing camaraderie felt among the band's members meant that they didn't drop off the radar. After being given a slot in the 2002 'Monsters of Rock' shows, Thunder decided to return in 2003 with a new album, titled Shooting at the Sun, which the guys released on their own record label. Fully embracing the internet's ability to unite hard rock fans across the globe, 2005 resulted in the band's seventh album, aptly titled The Magnificent Seventh! by the guys. It earned praise from many critics, with musicOMH writer Neil Daniels remarking that the "terrific return to form" seemed like "a hard-hitting giant but with fists of steel and cast iron balls".
Feeling vindicated, the group's album managed to produce a return to the top 40 singles charts and spawned a bunch of live performances. After two well-received tours in 2006, with many gigs completely selling out, and two gleeful experiences in Japan, the band captured that live feel in the DVD Thunder Go Mad in Japan. The release included a documentary piece following the band's situation setting everything up and trying to sort out all of the traveling. That year additionally saw the guys releasing their eight studio album, titled Robert Johnson's Tombstone, which featured nods to the musicians' early history before Thunder's very formation. Receiving acclaim from critics and fans alike, some even claimed that the album was Thunder's best studio release yet. A U.K. tour took place at the end of November 2006, with the band extending things into shows in Europe as well.
The 2000s represented not only a period of frequent touring but also increasing musical activities by the guys outside of the band. Thunder's career renaissance continued with a 2008 studio album, which the guys simply titled Bang!, and the group's appearance with Def Leppard and Whitesnake at multiple gigs that same year. The group had found itself coming up to its twenty-year anniversary. Although not experiencing the same kind of personal conflicts or debates about musical direction that many of their contemporaries had, Thunder still appeared to have reached a kind of inflection point. In early 2009, the guys announced plans to split for the second time. Final tours and festival appearances occurred throughout the rest of the year. A well-received compilation album, called simply The Very Best of Thunder, came out as well that year.
Luke Morley stressed "only a fool would say never" when it came to talk of getting back together at some point. Still, he'd gotten focused on other endeavors and particularly dedicated himself to working on The Union, an outfit formed with musician Peter Shoulder (formerly of Winterville). Featuring a blues and soul drenched sound, that band has achieved significant critical acclaim. Other ex-Thunder members perused similar projects. Drummer Gary "Harry" James, for example, played with progressive rockers Magnum (including on their popular 2011 release The Visitation).
Thunder briefly reunited for the 'High Voltage Festival', held in Victoria Park, in 2011. Though expressing their reluctance to formally get back together, the guys agreed to future shows together, including a December performance at Nottingham's 'Rock City' venue. They intermittently took to the stage as the 2010s went on yet remained committed to their alternate projects.
In 2015, however, Thunder announced a full return with an upcoming studio album of new material. A tongue-in-cheek collective statement cited "a rather silly amount of knob-twiddling and string-pulling" as the final inspiration. The release of Wonder Days earned a warm response from critics and fans alike (the fellows at Classic Rock magazine, for example, naming it one of the year's 11 best albums), and multiple gigs got announced to preform the new material. 2017's Rip It Up was also well-received (the record's #3 spot on the U.K. Albums Chart was the highest the band reached for over two decades). This was followed with an acoustic selection, Please Remain Seated, after which the band promised to return to the "full throttle sound of Thunder" for the next studio record.
Delayed due to the pandemic situation, that full throttle new album was released in March 2021, All The Right Noises.
UK rockers Thunder will be releasing a new double album titled Dopamine on April 29, 2022.
Official Website: http://www.thunderonline.com/
2) - Thunder was additionally used by an obscure funk-based Southern rock band from the U.S. Their 1974 self-tiled album picked up some attention but failed to break through commercially. It's hard to find information about the group, but a bit is known given how it served as a stepping stone in the career of popular Texan singer-songwriter and guitarist John Nitzinger. The 1974 album is described on Discogs.com here.
3) - Thunder is the name of a defunct Pagan Black Metal band from Poland, formed in 1994.
4) - Thunder is the name of a German heavy metal band, that released 'All I Want' in 1984.
Andy Warhol Said
Thunder Lyrics
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Big plans as empty as their dreams
They all got confidence to spare
Feel the ambition if you dare, yeah
You want it all now, and it doesn't matter how
You can't dance or sing, but that don't mean a thing
'Cos it's not what you do, it's who you are
And what Andy Warhol said was right, maybe
Everyone gets a shot if they're good enough or not
We'll all be celebrities in time in pantomime
Skin deep, should I jump onto the heap
'Cos I'm still here, is it time I disappeared?
Music should always move along
But this many people can't be wrong
If what Andy Warhol said was right, baby
I guess I must be wrong, my fifteen minutes gone
Do you mind if I get in the queue in front of you?
You're all just off your time, I guess I can't put the blame on you
Showbiz kids and all their schemes
Big plans as empty as their dreams
They all got confidence to spare
Feel the ambition if you dare
And what Andy Warhol said was right, maybe
Everyone gets a shot if they're good enough or not
We'll all be celebrities in time in our time
I'm gonna have to get back in the queue
In front of you, in front of you
So what you gonna do?
I'm just as bad as you
The lyrics of Thunder's song "Andy Warhol Said" describe the cut-throat world of showbiz, where talent alone may not be enough to succeed. The first verse describes the showbiz kids and their ambitious plans, which are often as empty as their dreams. These people believe in themselves and exude confidence, and if one has the guts, they can feel the ambition, too. Despite not being able to dance or sing, these people will do whatever it takes to get ahead in the industry. The lyrics suggest that it's not about what you do, but who you are that matters in showbiz, and people are willing to go to great lengths to be where they are.
In the chorus, the lyrics quote the famous artist Andy Warhol, who said that everyone gets a shot in showbiz, regardless of their talent. Thunder wants to say that anyone can be famous in the industry, but that fame is fleeting and will be over in just 15 minutes. In the second verse, the lyrics question whether it is worth jumping on the showbiz heap, knowing that anyone can make it big with the right connections or look. The chorus repeats the theme of Warhol's quote, with Thunder questioning whether they are good enough to be famous.
Overall, the lyrics of "Andy Warhol Said" depict the unglamorous side of showbiz, where people will do whatever it takes to get ahead. The song warns of the fleeting nature of fame and suggests that people may not always be as good as they think they are when it comes to making it big in the industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Showbiz kids and all their schemes
Referring to people in the entertainment industry with grand plans and ideas
Big plans as empty as their dreams
Their aspirations and goals are often shallow and unrealistic
They all got confidence to spare
These individuals are often very self-assured
Feel the ambition if you dare, yeah
Their intensity and hunger can be intimidating
You want it all now, and it doesn't matter how
Desire for success is immediate and unyielding
You can't dance or sing, but that don't mean a thing
Skillset is beyond the point
'Cos it's not what you do, it's who you are
Personality and image is far more important
And you'd sell your mum and dad to be where you are
Willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve success, regardless of the cost
And what Andy Warhol said was right, maybe
Warhol's statement about fame being accessible to everyone is potentially accurate
Everyone gets a shot if they're good enough or not
It doesn't matter if your talent is irrelevant, there is still an opportunity for fame
We'll all be celebrities in time in pantomime
Fame will be thrust upon us all, even in the most trivial settings
Skin deep, should I jump onto the heap
Should I conform to the shallow standards of the entertainment industry
'Cos I'm still here, is it time I disappeared?
Feeling out of place in this cultural context
Music should always move along
Creativity should evolve and adapt over time
But this many people can't be wrong
The masses must be satisfied if they are endorsing something
If what Andy Warhol said was right, baby
Reiteration of Warhol's proclamation about fame accessibility
I guess I must be wrong, my fifteen minutes gone
Personal insecurity about fading into obscurity
Do you mind if I get in the queue in front of you?
Can I please have your spot in line for fame?
You're all just off your time, I guess I can't put the blame on you
Everyone is simply trying to keep up; cannot fault them for that
We'll all be celebrities in time in our time
Reiteration of the idea that fame is attainable for everyone
I'm gonna have to get back in the queue
Acknowledgment that they are not yet famous
In front of you, in front of you
Trying to bypass others to achieve success
So what you gonna do?
What actions will you take to achieve success?
I'm just as bad as you
Acknowledging that they are just like the other aspiring celebrities
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: LUKE MORLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind